Faithbase

Good morning and welcome to today's episode of Praying the Bible. We're looking at Psalm 3 today and we're going to read through Psalm 3 verses 1 through 4 with an introduction. A Psalm of David when he fled from Absalom his son. Lord how they have increased to trouble me. Many are they who rise up against me. Many are they who say of me there is no help for him and God. Selah. But you O Lord are shield for me my glory and the one who lifts up my head. I cried to the Lord with my voice and he heard me from his holy hill. Selah. Heavenly Father it sometimes seems that there are so many who are against us. It seems that there are many who are out to get us as we might say. But Lord just as your scripture here written by your servant David was written about consequences that came to pass because of his previous sin. Lord just as here in verse 2 we are told to selah, to think about it, to pause. And Lord I pray that even now as we consider those who might be causing us anxiety, might be causing us upset, we may feel that they're so-called I guess picking on us Lord God. I pray that we could search our heart and consider what have we done perhaps that this is the natural or the God-ordained outcome. Lord what sharp word have we expressed? What kind of behaviors have we done that we should be asking for forgiveness for? Lord that's not always why people attack us Lord. God but as your scripture tells us we should count it a privilege to be under attack for doing good, for doing what the scripture tells us we should do, for being Christlike. And yet we also recognize that there isn't a reward for persecution because of bad behavior. Lord David came before you and he said how they have increased to trouble me. Lord I pray that if we find ourselves in that situation where we seem surrounded by those who are out to get us, that we would turn our attention to you. That even though they might suggest that there is no help for us in God, because they might suggest there is no God, that we would ignore that. That we would again stop and think about our situation and put things into perspective and to the perspective of eternity that we Lord God have relationship with you and our Lord Jesus Christ. And so regardless of the kind of behaviors that are directed to us or at us Lord we can rest in the knowledge of your love for us in Jesus Christ. Lord you are a shield for us. You are the one who watches over us. You are the one who lifts us up in body and spirit. Lord I pray that even this day that as each person who's participating in this time of prayer, the people who come to mind when we talk about being under attack, I pray Lord that that they would now and that I with them would pray for that person. Pray for those people Lord God because you are our shield and we we do not have to be concerned about them. Instead we stand behind you Lord Jesus protected and are able to reach out in prayer and in kindness and love for those that that might even be attacking us. Our glory is the one who lifts us up and that is you Lord Jesus. You've lifted us each one of us who is saved by your blood, saved by your substitutionary sacrifice. You've lifted us out of the the mud and the filth of sin Lord God. That is the most tremendous lifting that we can experience. Lord even now I pray that each one of us who has a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ would would give you thanks for that, give you a blessing for that Lord God. So Lord as we cry to you, as we turn to you for help, as we turn to you and in confidence I pray that we would first of all as we mentioned recognize that there may be something we have done that has brought this to pass that you were trying to get our attention concerning this thing and secondly that even if there is that we can confess our sin that you are faithful and just to forgive us our sin that you cleanse us from all unrighteousness and that we can stand protected in the shade and the protection the covering protection of our Lord Jesus Christ. So you are our shield, you are our glory and you hear us from your holy hill, you hear us from the heavens because you are right here with us on a daily basis. So we thank you Lord God guide us and direct us this day I pray bless us that we might bring blessing to others and I pray Lord that you will be with us throughout this day and prepare our hearts to to honestly assess our situation and then to turn to you with confidence knowing that you Lord God love us and keep us. We pray these things in Jesus name, amen.